The official album chart will see online streaming from services such as Spotify and Deezer included for the first time from next month.

Data from services including Spotify, Napster and Google Play will be counted in the chart issued on Sunday March 1.

In the last 12 months to January, the number of songs streamed in the UK has doubled to 50 million a day and the singles chart started accepting streaming data in July.

The Official Charts Company said the change had not been made "lightly".

Its chief executive, Martin Talbot, said: "The Official Charts Company's mission is to compile the most accurate, reliable and up-to-date charts around, and in 2015 that means reflecting the popularity of streaming, alongside downloads, vinyl and - still the most popular album format - the CD.

"Initial indications are that the impact on actual chart positions will be modest to begin with, but we expect this to grow as streaming becomes increasingly popular."

The data will be weighted so the charts are not skewed by the performance of one or two huge hits.

The Official Charts Company will take the 12 most-streamed tracks from each album and the top two will be down-weighted in line with the average of the next 10. These streams will then be added together, divided by 1,000, and then added to the rest of the album's sales.

The Official Albums Chart was first published in Record Mirror 59 years ago - with Frank Sinatra's Songs For Swinging Lovers the first number one.